30000 Euros is how much Barcelona CF played the Barcelona public transit company to keep the system running for an extra hour, in order to provide some service, after regular closing hours, to fans going home after the Barcelona - Atletico Madrid super cup encounter, second leg.
They won't regret that decision -- and I really don't know why the hell the Spanish federation is now scheduling so many matches to start at 11 PM, Spanish time - because it's not just this one! - but they must know what they're doing, I guess -- because Barcelona (barely) edged out by Simeone's team to snatch the Spanish Super Cup.
No big thanks to Messi, though.
The Argentinian, now proven to be an infamously bad penalty taker, has missed yet another spot kick. This one, in the 89th minute.
It would have almost surely meant the win for Barcelona, who had much better chances than Atletico in the second half.
The Madrid team, on the other hand, had better chances in the first half, when Victor Valdes saved the Catalan giants more than twice from going down in the goal count. Unfortunately for Atletico, its players didn't have the same spark in the second half, when they became impatient, nervous, and even completely cracked down (such as Filipe Luis and Turan, who both got red-carded by the referee).
So, Barca wins the trophy without actually winning any of the matches.
Nobody can say that Atletico Madrid outplayed them, but I think it's safe to say that Barcelona is no longer the team to beat in Europe. Or in the world, because it's probably the same thing.
I don't know who is, or if there even is one, but a team who wins trophies without winning matches is more lucky than extremely good.
Showing posts with label Atletico Madrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Atletico Madrid. Show all posts
Thursday, 29 August 2013
Friday, 21 June 2013
Spain - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2013-2014
FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Real Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Atletico Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Real Sociedad San Sebastian --> Champions League Play-off Round
Valencia CF --> Europa League Group Stage
Betis Sevilla --> Europa League Play-off Round
Sevilla CF --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Notes: Malaga was excluded from European competitions, by UEFA, due to unpaid bills. Rayo Vallecano was excluded from European competitions and denied (UEFA) license, by UEFA, for immersion in a creditor contest.
Real Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Atletico Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
Real Sociedad San Sebastian --> Champions League Play-off Round
Valencia CF --> Europa League Group Stage
Betis Sevilla --> Europa League Play-off Round
Sevilla CF --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Notes: Malaga was excluded from European competitions, by UEFA, due to unpaid bills. Rayo Vallecano was excluded from European competitions and denied (UEFA) license, by UEFA, for immersion in a creditor contest.
Friday, 17 May 2013
No Trophies for Real
Well, after bouncing out of the CL the amazing way they did, everybody knew Real players would find it hard to pull together as a team and beat Atletico Madrid.
Of course, Real was theoretically the better team, but Atletico had their internal cohesion working to give them a significant moral boost.
And that is exactly what led them to victory in extra time.
With the score staying 1-1 for more than an hour, not counting breaks, mental strength began to play a big part.
Everybody on the Real side even seemed that they could not wait to get the last important match of the season over with, so they could focus on their internal dissensions some more.
As well, this defeat surely has put the final nail in Jose Mourinho 's RM managerial coffin. Next year, The Chosen One will be choosing elsewhere.
Highlights:
Of course, Real was theoretically the better team, but Atletico had their internal cohesion working to give them a significant moral boost.
And that is exactly what led them to victory in extra time.
With the score staying 1-1 for more than an hour, not counting breaks, mental strength began to play a big part.
Everybody on the Real side even seemed that they could not wait to get the last important match of the season over with, so they could focus on their internal dissensions some more.
As well, this defeat surely has put the final nail in Jose Mourinho 's RM managerial coffin. Next year, The Chosen One will be choosing elsewhere.
Highlights:
Saturday, 1 December 2012
Spanish League As Good As Over
Okay, Atletico Madrid lost again.
And Barcelona won.
So, with a six-point gap between Barcelona and the nearest pursuer, what hope is there that Atletico (or Real) will catch up?
I would say, close to zero.
That is, especially, because Barcelona only dropped two points in 14 matches (- more than a third of the total of matches -), which happened only because they were playing Mourinho's Real, and they are looking unstoppable.
(No Celtic in the Spanish La Liga, is there?)
So, there aren't a lot of interesting things happening in the Spanish league nowadays. I'll just drop it for now.
And Barcelona won.
So, with a six-point gap between Barcelona and the nearest pursuer, what hope is there that Atletico (or Real) will catch up?
I would say, close to zero.
That is, especially, because Barcelona only dropped two points in 14 matches (- more than a third of the total of matches -), which happened only because they were playing Mourinho's Real, and they are looking unstoppable.
(No Celtic in the Spanish La Liga, is there?)
So, there aren't a lot of interesting things happening in the Spanish league nowadays. I'll just drop it for now.
Monday, 4 June 2012
Spain - UEFA Club Competitions Participants - 2012-2013
Real Madrid --> Champions League Group Stage
FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Valencia CF --> Champions League Group Stage
Malaga CF --> Champions League Play-off Round
Atletico Madrid --> Europa League Group Stage
Levante UD Valencia --> Europa League Play-off Round
Athletic Bilbao --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
FC Barcelona --> Champions League Group Stage
Valencia CF --> Champions League Group Stage
Malaga CF --> Champions League Play-off Round
Atletico Madrid --> Europa League Group Stage
Levante UD Valencia --> Europa League Play-off Round
Athletic Bilbao --> Europa League Third Qualifying Round
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Atletico Madrid Wins Europa League
One team from Madrid won a cup this year.
Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao, 3-0, in Bucharest, in the final of this year 's Europa League.
The win came largely thanks to the brilliant goals of Radamel Falcao, in the first half (in minutes 7 and 34), who made the Bilbao defenders look like amateurs.
Falcao was declared the man of the match. No surprise there.
But Athletic's defense really wasn't up to par in this one match.
Diego showed that maybe Falcao's mission was made a lot easier by the performances of the opposing defenders, by ridiculing them one more time, with five minutes left in the match, to score Atletico's third goal.
I, and probably a lot of other people, too, expected much better from Athletic Bilbao.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao by poinyoo
Atletico Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao, 3-0, in Bucharest, in the final of this year 's Europa League.
The win came largely thanks to the brilliant goals of Radamel Falcao, in the first half (in minutes 7 and 34), who made the Bilbao defenders look like amateurs.
Falcao was declared the man of the match. No surprise there.
But Athletic's defense really wasn't up to par in this one match.
Diego showed that maybe Falcao's mission was made a lot easier by the performances of the opposing defenders, by ridiculing them one more time, with five minutes left in the match, to score Atletico's third goal.
I, and probably a lot of other people, too, expected much better from Athletic Bilbao.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao by poinyoo
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Real - Begin to Panic!
Today, Real Madrid played yet another very inefficient game. It was, surely, very uncomfortable for Real Madrid fans to watch.
Not that Mourinho's team lost any other match after the home defeat to Barcelona, but their once-very-impressive 10-point lead over Guardiola's men is now down to only 4 points, with the trip to Camp Nou still to come.
Considering that Valencia is 30 points behind Real, the Madrid team played very, very poorly. However, considering the fact that Valencia was in serious danger of losing third spot, and an automatic Champions League place for next season, it's no surprise that Valencia saw this game as a do-or-die encounter.
But the draw helps neither.
In the match itself, Valencia hit the post, and Real hit the post. Real had chances and Valencia had chances.
But the finishing from Mourinho's attacking men was very, very poor compared to what is generally expected from them. There were many shots and passes gone awry, particularly towards the end.
I don't mean to single out just one player, but I remember very vividly a chance, in the second half, where Benzema, after a pass from Ronaldo, should have done much, much better.
No, make that two huge chances. (There was one in injury time, too.)
Well, at least the Real players did not get sent off in this one, unlike in other previous encounters in which they've dropped points.
So, just four points between Real and Barca now. And seven matches left for each team.
And Real is going to play local rival Atletico Madrid, in just three-days' time, at a point when Barca could be just one point behind Real (because the team managed by Guardiola would have already played, on Tuesday).
Not that Mourinho's team lost any other match after the home defeat to Barcelona, but their once-very-impressive 10-point lead over Guardiola's men is now down to only 4 points, with the trip to Camp Nou still to come.
Considering that Valencia is 30 points behind Real, the Madrid team played very, very poorly. However, considering the fact that Valencia was in serious danger of losing third spot, and an automatic Champions League place for next season, it's no surprise that Valencia saw this game as a do-or-die encounter.
But the draw helps neither.
In the match itself, Valencia hit the post, and Real hit the post. Real had chances and Valencia had chances.
But the finishing from Mourinho's attacking men was very, very poor compared to what is generally expected from them. There were many shots and passes gone awry, particularly towards the end.
I don't mean to single out just one player, but I remember very vividly a chance, in the second half, where Benzema, after a pass from Ronaldo, should have done much, much better.
No, make that two huge chances. (There was one in injury time, too.)
Well, at least the Real players did not get sent off in this one, unlike in other previous encounters in which they've dropped points.
So, just four points between Real and Barca now. And seven matches left for each team.
And Real is going to play local rival Atletico Madrid, in just three-days' time, at a point when Barca could be just one point behind Real (because the team managed by Guardiola would have already played, on Tuesday).
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Why the Fuck Is This Shit Still Allowed?
Go to minute 4 of this video (- see below, the highlights -) to see what I'm talking about.
Even Messi is doing this? What a disappointment!
Barcelona is a great team! Messi is a great player!
How can they be satisfied with a win obtained in such a cheap, retarded, undignified manner?
And what the hell was that moron referee thinking?
This kind of goal should always be annulled and never be allowed!
For fair play, and the good of the game, when the goalkeeper is organizing the wall of team-mates, no opposing player should be permitted to strike the ball.
(Some referees allow it, some don't, supposedly. How can that garbage attitude still be allowed on football pitches? Exaggerating, for effect, here's a comparison: how would it be if some boxing referees allowed the champ to kick the contender in the nuts, and knock him out by surprising him thusly, and some didn't. See what I mean, now? Taking a free kick like that should definitely not be allowed. No team should ever win, courtesy of a goal scored in this way.)
What does this say about Barcelona, now?
That they could not win any other way?
That they were so desperate, as to stoop to a dirt-cheap ploy?
And that Perez Lasa was a coward, who decided to accept Barcelona's trick?
In conclusion, if any official referee sees this: Not only does allowing such a goal mean that you are not making sure that everything is fair, but it also means that you are openly and defiantly encouraging cheating instead of discouraging it.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona by pomelom
Even Messi is doing this? What a disappointment!
Barcelona is a great team! Messi is a great player!
How can they be satisfied with a win obtained in such a cheap, retarded, undignified manner?
And what the hell was that moron referee thinking?
This kind of goal should always be annulled and never be allowed!
For fair play, and the good of the game, when the goalkeeper is organizing the wall of team-mates, no opposing player should be permitted to strike the ball.
(Some referees allow it, some don't, supposedly. How can that garbage attitude still be allowed on football pitches? Exaggerating, for effect, here's a comparison: how would it be if some boxing referees allowed the champ to kick the contender in the nuts, and knock him out by surprising him thusly, and some didn't. See what I mean, now? Taking a free kick like that should definitely not be allowed. No team should ever win, courtesy of a goal scored in this way.)
What does this say about Barcelona, now?
That they could not win any other way?
That they were so desperate, as to stoop to a dirt-cheap ploy?
And that Perez Lasa was a coward, who decided to accept Barcelona's trick?
In conclusion, if any official referee sees this: Not only does allowing such a goal mean that you are not making sure that everything is fair, but it also means that you are openly and defiantly encouraging cheating instead of discouraging it.
Highlights:
Atletico Madrid v Barcelona by pomelom
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